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BEGIN WITH A GRIN

A word to the wise: No matter how low the dollar falls, it’s still worth bending down to pick it up…

V.I.P. SIN OFFERING

This week we begin the Sefer of Vayikra, also known as Toras Kohanim, which discusses at length the details of the service in the Mishkan and the Mikdash. The central element of this service is the korbanos. Among the many types of sacrifices described in our parsha, we find the biblical obligation to bring a sin offering (chatas) for certain transgressions if a Jew committed them unintentionally. But it is not only an ordinary Jew who must bring such a korban – even a kohen, and even the Kohen Gadol, sometimes needs to bring one as part of teshuva and correction.

The Torah states: “If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt upon the people, he shall bring for his sin that he has committed a young bull without blemish to the L-rd as a sin offering” (Vayikra 4:3). The “anointed priest” refers to the Kohen Gadol, who was anointed with the sacred anointing oil. His sin offering involves many intricate and complex laws – far more than the sin offering of a regular person.

But what does the sin offering of the Kohen Gadol have to do with the true and complete Geula?

The connection between the two, and the important lesson derived from it, can be understood through an intriguing Medrash, together with an explanation based on the Zohar and illuminated through Chassidic teachings.

The Medrash (Vayikra Raba 5:1) on the above verse brings another verse from Iyov (34:29): “He silences, and who can condemn?” Rabbi Meir expounds this verse as follows: “He silences His world and hides His face from His world, like a judge who draws a curtain from the inside and does not see what is happening outside.”

Rabbi Meir’s interpretation seems very puzzling. What is the connection between the verse in Iyov and the verse in Vayikra? Who is hiding his face from the world? Who is the judge, and what is this curtain? It is indeed a very perplexing Medrash.

Commentators struggle to resolve these questions and to connect the two verses, each in their own way. The Tzemach Tzedek (Ohr HaTorah Vayikra vol. 1 p. 235) offers a beautiful, deep, and original explanation of this Medrash, based on the words of the Zohar on our parsha.

The Zohar explains that the “Kohen Gadol” actually refers to G-d Himself, and the “sin” He committed is that He concealed His great light from Knesses Yisrael. The word “sin” (chet) can also mean “lack” or “deficiency,” as in the well-known verse spoken by Bas-Sheva to Dovid: “I and my son Shlomo will (be the ones to) miss out [chataim]” – that is, lacking.

Thus, when the “High Priest” – G-d – “sins,” meaning that He withholds and contracts His great light, it is because of “the guilt of the people.” Due to the deficiency in the Jewish people’s service of G-d, a deficiency is caused (so to speak) above as well.

According to the Zohar’s explanation, Rabbi Meir’s deep statement also becomes clearer. The judge is G-d, who sits in judgment over His world every day and every hour. Yet the “judge” – G-d – prefers to “hide His face from His world.” He draws a curtain from the inside so that He will not see the horrors occurring outside here in the physical world.

Does this mean that Hashem is ignoring things? Does it mean, Heaven forbid, that “G-d has abandoned the earth”?

Not at all. The Medrash means that G-d hides His face from the world; He conceals the inner revelation of the divine light. He does not wish to reveal Himself in His full glory in a world that is at such a low spiritual level. He is here exactly as before, but He hides Himself from us.

This mode of divine conduct – being present yet concealed, seeing yet restraining, knowing yet remaining silent – is the divine mode of the time of exile. It is precisely what has led to our current situation, in which we do not feel the Shechina or divine providence guiding every step.

TURNING ABOUT-FACE

In fact, the Medrash and the Zohar complement one another. They teach that when the Torah speaks of the “sin of the Kohen Gadol,” it hints at what is happening on the divine plane during exile, while also teaching us the path to Geual.

The Tzemach Tzedek continues with a remarkable idea. If the “Kohen Gadol” (that is, G-d) sinned, then He must repent. What is the teshuva of the Kohen Gadol? How does G-d “repent”?

(In other circles, even asking how G-d could repent might provoke astonishment, even anger. But the Tzemach Tzedek bases his explanation on a famous Medrash on the verse: “He tells His words to Yaakov, His statutes and laws to Israel.” The Midrash explains that whatever G-d commands Israel to do, He Himself also does. Since G-d commanded teshuva in the Torah, it follows that He too, so to speak, must “repent.”)

The Tzemach Tzedek explains that this is the role of Moshiach. It is known that “Moshiach will come to bring even the righteous to repentance.” Among the righteous whom he will bring to repentance is – G-d Himself, “the Righteous One of the world.”

And what is G-d’s repentance? Rectifying and reversing the “sin,” something known as measure-for-measure repentance. In place of the concealment of divine light during exile, G-d will “repent” by revealing His infinite light to the people of Israel in an abundant revelation. Instead of feeling that “the judge draws a curtain” and pretends not to be present, we will see and feel how G-d is with us in every place and every corner. Instead of concealment, problems, and difficulties – the experiences of exile – we will merit unimaginable prosperity and success in the time of Geula.

In fact, the Tzemach Tzedek shows that this is hinted at in the verse itself. The Torah calls the Kohen Gadol “the anointed priest” (ha-kohen ha-mashiach). Why? True, he was anointed with sacred oil – but why not simply call him “the Kohen Gadol”? And why is this name mentioned specifically here?

The Torah hints that “the priest” refers to G-d, while “the anointed one (Moshiach)” hints to Melech HaMoshiach, whose mission includes bringing about repentance – even the bringing of a sin offering, so to speak, for G-d Himself.

The practical lesson for us is simple. In Chassidus, teshuva is called “turning face to face.” The face represents a person’s will. When someone desires something, they turn their face toward it; when they dislike something, they turn their face away.

Sometimes, we too turn our faces away when it comes to Torah and mitzvos. “We just don’t feel like it,” as people say. The essence of repentance is to turn our faces back – to look directly toward G-d, and to observe Torah and mitzvos with inner desire, enthusiasm, joy, and love, not merely out of obligation. Our turning our faces back toward G-d will soon bring about G-d turning His face back toward us. Instead of feeling “the hiding of His face,” we will visibly see the fulfillment of the blessing: “May the Lord shine His face upon you” – truly and literally.

TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY

As we learned, G-d decides when to hide His face and when to reveal it – when to ignore and when to step in. From this we too can learn an important lesson, illustrated by the following story.

Rabbi Mordechai Dov of Hornosteipel was very strict about not being photographed. Once he even canceled a trip to a wedding in Sanz because he would have needed to take a passport photo.

One day he heard that someone had secretly photographed him and was selling the picture. The Rebbe was shocked. He summoned the man and rebuked him sharply for daring to do such a thing, knowing how strongly he objected.

The man began to explain his distress: he had two daughters of marriageable age but not a penny to his name, and he could not arrange shidduchim for them. He had taken the photo hoping to sell it and use the money for their weddings.

When the rabbi heard this, he said: “If so, bring the camera here. Tell the Rebbetzin to bring my Shabbos clothes, and take a proper photograph that you can sell, so that you will have money for your daughters’ weddings.”

The man did as the rabbi instructed, and the photograph sold for a handsome profit.

Good Shabbos!

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